CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A suburban public library said it will not remove several Dr. Seuss titles believed to have racist imagery from public display.
In early March, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced that last year it had decided to cease publication of six lesser known titles because “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
Related
The titles included “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
The announcement created a firestorm of controversy on social media and cable news.
Meanwhile, Denise Raleigh, Division Chief of Public Relations and Development with the Elgin Public Library, said the Gail Borden Public Library has received calls from people who want to see what all of the controversy is about.
“We are striving to make these Dr. Seuss books available to those who want to see them,” Raleigh said.
She said the books have been moved into a special collection where people could read them without taking them home.
"We will be putting them into a special use collection. People can come and view these, but they will be coming to our second floor (of the main branch), and they will be using them in house," Raleigh said.
The books have been selling for thousands of dollars on the secondary market and the library wants to prevent theft.
Raleigh hopes the library can facilitate a productive discussion about books and their place in history and modern society.
"The idea that we won't make these available is not the way to have really wonderful discussions about why they made this (decision), and why maybe these aren't sensitive and maybe they shouldn't be in a child's collection," Raleigh said.
Related
